SCHRADER, STEWART TEAM UP

Two USAC Silver Crown Champions will compete in Thursday night’s J.D. Byrider “Rich Vogler Classic” at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Ind. piloting cars fielded by USAC Triple Crown driving champion Tony Stewart and Curb-Agajanian Motorsports. Both are former series champions but one has not competed in the series in 23 years!

Bobby East is the two-time defending series king and Ken Schrader won the title back in 1982, but remains one of America’s most active drivers.

The Stewart/Curb-Agajanian team owns a record 29 Silver Crown victories, the most recent by East at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado last year.

Schrader will be making his first Silver Crown appearance since 1991 at Phoenix, but his career includes a half-dozen victories, including two at the Indianapolis oval, in 1986 and 1989. His four other wins came at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio in 1983 and Phoenix International Raceway in 1987, 1989 and 1990.

Thursday night’s race is expected to attract a strong field of cars and drivers, including drivers from nine states and Canada. In addition to East and Schrader, former series champions Tracy Hines (2000), Jerry Coons Jr. (2008) and Dave Darland (1997) are in the field along with Canadian Ryan Litt and former Silver Crown winners A.J. Fike, Tanner Swanson, Chris Windom, Kody Swanson and Bobby Santos.

The Swanson brothers, Tanner and Kody, swept the top two spots in last May’s USAC “Hall of Fame Classic” at LOR and Tanner Swanson has won the last two Silver Crown races at the .686-mile paved oval.

Hines and Kody Swanson lead the series points entering the fifth round, tied at 228 points. East is 27 points behind in his bid to become the first driver to capture three consecutive series championships.

Drivers will be aiming at the late Jason Leffler’s one-lap track record of 121.667 mph. when qualifying starts at 7 pm, following practice at 6.